The Blue Side of the Force: Luminosity
by DWH
Summary: Alyse and Skye Darre are twins, but with one catch- Alyse is a Jedi, and Skye is not. When both of them are pulled into the Mandalorian Wars, they much each find their own way through the conflict. OCs, Saul Karath, Carth Onasi, Alek Squinquargesimus.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **The Blue Side of the Force: Luminosity**  
Author:** DWH**  
Genre: **Drama**  
Timeframe: **pre-KOTOR, Mandalorian Wars**  
Characters: **OCs, Saul Karath, Alek Squinquargesimus, Carth Onasi**  
Notes: **This will take varying amounts of canon into consideration. I'm reading the trade paperbacks, so they'll be accurate up through volume 3 (Days of Fear, Nights of Anger). I have a feeling they'll end up being at least a little contradictory, though, mostly so far as Alek's role is concerned. **  
**

**Chapter One**

Skye Darre closed up the final panel on the computer and stood back, taking off her spectacles and viewing her handiwork. Her sister, Alyse, had practically begged her to come work for the Jedi Enclave. Sure enough, their systems were a mess. She'd been working all morning to figure out which memory port was fried, and whoever had maintained them last had the technical sense of a drunken bantha. Most of the system was a fire waiting to happen, and it was going to take a while to sort it all out. 

Moving towards the door, she reached down to grab her bag of tools. When she stood, she found herself directly facing a very tall, athletic-looking, and rather confused Jedi. 

"Alyse?" The Jedi looked truly perplexed. "Your hair, it's... it's..."

"Not Alyse's," Skye supplied. "I'm her sister."

"Oh." He rand his hand through his dark hair and smiled apologetically. "I was going to say 'short,' but I've apparently got the wrong Darre."

"I'm Skye," she offered her hand to him, and he accepted the handshake.

"Kylan," he replied. "I remember Alyse talking about you now. You're some kind of computer specialist, right?"

"That's me," Skye smiled and shrugged slightly. "Well, I should go and find... someone."

"Well, it was good meeting you, Skye." Kylan smiled. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you around."

With a small nod, she slipped past him and moved out into the courtyard.

---------------------------

Alyse plopped down next to her sister as she ate her lunch on a grassy knoll on the Enclave grounds. "So, how was your first day of work?"

"Let's see." Skye put her sandwich down and started ticking points off on her fingers. "Your computer systems are outdated, so full of dust that I'm amazed they haven't caught fire yet, held together with space tape and wishful thinking, cross-wired so that even I can barely follow it, and your operating system isn't even supported by the manufacturer anymore."

Alyse looked blankly at Skye. "Was any of that good?"

"Nope." Skye resumed munching on her sandwich. 

"Oh." Alyse picked a steaming lunch pastry off the plate she'd brought with her. "Good thing you came then, right?"

"Who was the last person to work on the system?"

"Well..." Alyse paused for a long time, trying to remember if they'd ever actually _paid_ anyone to look after the computers. "I think it's usually up to one of the Masters to take care of it."

Skye looked at her sister with a look of pure horror on her face. "You're telling me that responsible adults- _Jedi_, no less, are the cause of that mess?"

"Hey, remember how I said we really, really needed an expert to come in?" Alyse smiled hopefully back at Skye. "Come on, you've always wanted an excuse to get at our computers, anyway."

"True, but I had more sinister purposes in mind then. Now I'm just trying to keep them from exploding."

"And you're the best person for it," Alyse assured her. 

"Come on, you know they only brought me in because I'm related to a Jedi."

"That's not true."

"Isn't it? I mean, I'll grant the Jedi interact more with the community than they do anywhere else, even on the other side of Corellia. But they're pretty protective of the Enclave itself." Skye took a long sip of her drink. "People can't just wander in and out of here, and hey, I can't really blame them for wanting to have a Jedi-only spot. I mean, think of the liability. When the lightsabers start flying, we mere mortals lack the enhanced instinct to duck in time."

"Okay, maybe you're right," Alyse grudgingly admitted. "But you're probably still best for the job anyway. The fact that you're my twin is just a bonus."

"Yeah, I've already confused a couple of people that way," Skye grinned. "'Alyse, why is your hair so short?' 'When did you get glasses?' You should have seen the look on this one really tall guy's face... can't remember his name..."

"Tall?" Alyse echoed, eyes lighting up. "Did he also happen to have blue eyes, a fabulous smile, and dark brown hair?"

Skye gave her sister a look that clearly suggested she was getting way too excited over a single descriptor. "Well... yes?"

"Must have been Kylan." Alyse grinned. "He's only the best sabreur on Corellia."

"Yes," Skye nodded sagely. "I could tell by the way he looked shocked and confused that he was a great swordsman."

Alyse blushed. "Well, he _is._"

"And I'm happy for him," Skye replied noncommittally. She'd accepted the job at the Enclave because it paid relatively well, and it looked good on _any_ resume to be employed by the Jedi. Still, she'd just gotten used to being around more, well..._normal_ people. Growing up as the only non-Jedi in the family had been trying, but going to University was great. There wasn't a person there who could lift so much as a paperweight with his mind, and she'd begun to really like that.

She should have known her luck wouldn't hold out. 

"Anyway," Alyse continued, "I've gotta run. It's my turn to run saber classes for the beginners."

"Have fun with that," Skye favoured her with a wry smile. "I'll continue trying to reverse all the damage you crazy Jedi have done to your computers over the years."

"I knew I could count on you to be awesome." Alyse gave her sister a quick hug before she left.

Skye wrapped up her garbage and threw it in the trash receptacle and headed back to the computer room. She definitely had her work cut out for her.

--------------------------------------------

Alyse wiped the sweat from her brow. Even though beginning dueling was easy enough, it was still enough movement to work up a healthy sweat if you kept at it long enough. Rounding a corner, she barely stopped in time to not run into an oncoming Jedi.

"Oh! Hey, Alyse." Kylan Sheffield grinned, and she did well to remember to smile back at him. "I guess I kind of owe you an apology- I forgot you told me you had a sister, and I mistook her for you."

"It happens," she managed. "Identical twins and all."

"That explains a lot." Kylan nodded. "I probably still should have known the difference, but I've been really distracted lately."

"Why's that?"

Kylan made a face. "Don't tell me you haven't been paying attention to the Mandalorian fiasco."

"Oh, that." Alyse nodded. "Yeah, it's got everyone on edge, hasn't it?"

"Well, I'm not interested in seeing them make it all the way to the Core," Kylan stated firmly. "Hey, if you're interested, I'm holding an informational session this afternoon. A bunch of us are thinking of going to aid the off-world Jedi in the war, and we need as many people as we can get."

"Sure," she responded without even thinking. "I'm always up for more information." Which, if she thought about it, she really wasn't. Information was not her trade; that had always been Skye's job. But damned if she was going to pass up an opportunity to work with_ Kylan Sheffield._ She was a few years younger than he, so she'd never really gotten to know him that well. This 'informational session' could change that, and _that_ was an idea she liked.

"Great!" Kylan grinned broadly and clapped her on the shoulder. "I've seen your saber work, it's pretty good. We'd definitely like to have you along."

"I'll see you later," Alyse waved as Kylan walked past her and down the hallway. Once he was out of sight, she twirled and plopped down in a nearby chair, a very large and goofy smile on her face. The part of her brain that made decisions didn't usually think to consult any other parts of the brain, and it had already quite made up its mind that she was going to aid the off-world Jedi. Why? Because Kylan, the best sabreur she'd ever seen, wanted her to. She'd work out the details later.

-------------------------------------------

"I'm sorry, but _what?_" Skye's emerald eyes blazed as she glared at her sister. "As of lunch, this was not happening."

Alyse shrugged sheepishly. "I mean, but it's for such a good cause! And you should have heard Kylan speaking. Have you _heard_ about all the awful things the Mandalorians have done? He knows everything about the war. And you know when even the normal Jedi get involved, we can hardly stay back."

"That's not quite the way I heard it," Skye replied skeptically. "The 'normal' Jedi aren't officially involved. It's a rogue group led by someone known as The Revanchist, and his friend Alek... something. Something unpronounceable. Anyway, they broke off from the Order, and there's a lot of speculation as to whether or not they'll be allowed back in once they return. _If_ they return."

Alyse blinked at her for a few seconds. "How do you know all this?"

"I'm on computers all the time, dear sister mine. I have access to the HoloNet. Intergalactic news is something I try to keep up on."

"Oh." Alyse paused, and seemed to consider this. "Still, you can't deny that the Mandalorians are a problem."

"No, they're a big problem, that I can't deny. But Kylan seems a little biased."

Alyse frowned. Her sister was usually right about such things, but her mind had already been made up. "I'm sorry, but I'm going. I've signed up, and we're leaving in two weeks."

Skye narrowed her eyes and scowled. "You're doing that thing where you know you're wrong, but you're too stubborn to change your mind."

"And if I am?" Alyse shot back. "I'd rather be wrong for a good cause than watching people die because I was right." With that, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.

Skye stared out the doorway after her sister. Alyse had been known to make impetuous decisions, but never like this. Skye was certain it had to do with the attentions of a certain saber master. But Alyse had never listened, and it had always been Skye's job to pull her wayward sister out of trouble. Which she couldn't do if she was still on Corellia. For once, she'd like her sister to act her age and make a proper decision. However, that did not seem to be the order of the day. No, that would be easy, and that just wasn't permitted.

With a frown, Skye sat down at her computer terminal and started typing furiously.

---------------------------------------

The two weeks passed quickly, with the sisters exchanging only brief words both at home and at the Enclave. Skye threw herself into her work mostly so as to avoid having to talk to anyone in particular, but it resulted in the computers being brought up to speed in that short period of time.

Finally, the day came when Alyse was to leave. She found Skye in her room, and tried to smile. "So, well... I guess this is goodbye."

"No, it's really not." Skye looked her sister square in the eye.

Alyse regarded her skeptically. "You can't stop me from going, you know."

"No, I can't." Skye pulled out a piece of flimsi and handed it to Alyse. "But I can volunteer my services and go with you."

Alyse quickly scanned the document. "You mean... wait a minute, what do they need a computer person for?"

"You think those big ship-wide systems run themselves?" Skye countered. "I'm signing on with Network Operations and Communications. My concentration is in networking anyway. This isn't even as big as what I managed in my old job."

"You're coming?" Alyse's face lit up, and she tackled her sister with a hug. "You're the best sister ever!"

"Yeah, well, you'd get into too much trouble without me," Skye grinned, returning the embrace. "Couldn't have that."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Alyse burst out, releasing her sister. "Let's go!"

Skye barely had time to grab her duffel before Alyse dragged her out the door. They made it to the spaceport with time to spare, and checked in with all appropriate parties. Once again, Skye found herself surrounded by Jedi, and wondered why she seemed to be doomed to that particular fate. It cheered her, however, to think that most, if not all of the people she'd be working with would be of the non-Jedi variety. If she had to run off to look after her sister, she'd at least be around normal people. And that wasn't such a bad deal at all.

When they finally lifted off, it was hard to look back as they left Corellia behind. It was a short jump to Coruscant, where they'd receive their postings. Until then, she could only sit back and hope that things would turn out well. They usually did, but one could never be sure.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Alyse sat impatiently tapping a stylus on her datapad. Since arriving on Coruscant, she, Kylan, and Iraya Khan- another Corellian Jedi about her age- had been rushed from checkpoint to checkpoint, eventually ending up aboard the Republic cruiser _Sunrider _with a handful of other Corellian Jedi who arrived earlier than they did. She wasn't even sure where Skye had gotten to, and that made her nervous. But all she could do was wait, and that had never been her strong suit.

The conference room was small, but it had a viewport that afforded a spectacular view of Coruscant. The planet was unlike any other she'd ever seen- covered from pole to pole with nothing but buildings. It was certainly a far cry from Corellia, as even Coronet City had a fair amount of green space.

With a sudden whoosh, the door to the conference room opened, and a tall, bald man in red robes strode in. He looked at the three Jedi and smiled. "So you're the Corellian contingent?"

Kylan nodded and offered a hand. "I'm Kylan Sheffield. This is Alyse Darre and Iraya Khan."

"My name is Alek Squinquargesimus," he replied, accepting the handshake. "You can call me Squint. Most people do."

"Can't imagine why," Alyse grinned. "You must be the unpronounceable Jedi my sister mentioned."

Alek smiled, and bowed slightly. "My reputation apparently precedes me."

Alyse shrugged. "Something about non-official Jedi business, I forget the details."

"Your sister was right- we're not acting on behalf of the Council," Alek nodded. "They would rather sit back and watch events unfold until they can tell what the true motivations of the Mandalorians are. Some of us can't watch such wholesale slaughter."

"Well, if you want people who buck against the main sects of the Order, Corellia is a good place to recruit." Kylan grinned. "Well, so long as you stay away from the anti-war contingent."

"People who sit on their hands like the Council?" Alek raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

"No, more like people who don't believe in fighting at all." Kylan shook his head. "I have more respect for them than for the Council, since they firmly believe in taking an active role. That active role just doesn't involve violence. I may not agree with them... but I can respect the position."

Alyse frowned. Though undetectable on his face, she'd definitely felt a surge of emotion from him. It was common knowledge that his best friend, Leiraya, was one of the most vocal of the anti-war contingent, but she hadn't heard that the two of them had a falling out. Alyse barely knew Leiraya, but the unusual friendship she and Kylan shared was the subject of much scrutiny to the younger Jedi. Nobody quite understood them, but that just made all the speculation much more interesting.

Returning her attention to the conversation, Alek had moved on to the proper briefing. "You're joining us on an exciting new journey," he clasped his hands together and smiled broadly. "For the first time, the Jedi Crusaders are working with the Republic military to defeat the Mandalorians. It's going to be a lot more effective, and hopefully we'll finally be able to put the Mandos on the defensive. You'll be stationed with me, here on the _Sunrider._ My Master will come around sometimes, too, but he wants to make sure all of our Jedi teams are operating to the best of their ability. He'll rotate from ship to ship as he sees fit."

Iraya looked impressed. "That's some dedication."

"My Master is nothing if not dedicated," Alek replied, a touch of pride in his voice. "If it weren't for him, the Jedi wouldn't be involved at all. Even now, the Council holds back, unfeeling of all the lives that have been lost so far." His expression darkened. "It won't be easy. Many Jedi have died already, and I myself have been tortured in Mandalorian captivity." He ran a hand over his bald head and smiled ruefully. "I started this war with a full head of hair."

Iraya touched her golden hair protectively. "I'll fight them off with a stick if I have to."

Alek grinned. "Don't worry, the Mandalorian responsible for this is, well... out of commission."

Kylan looked askance at Alek. "Not dead?"

Alek shook his head. "In a coma, and in Republic custody." He paused. "We might have also blown up his lab."

"Well, there's a start," Alyse nodded. "What are the battle lines looking like these days?"

Alek activated a small holoprojector, and the room filled with tiny representations of the stars. After touching a few buttons, a portion of the stars turned red. "These are the worlds in Mandalorian hands. They've started coming towards the Core, but we're not interested in letting them get this far." A few more buttons, and another group of planets turned green. "These worlds are in danger. Our first priority is to turn them back, and from there we want to push them back into the Outer Rim. Preferably off the maps altogether."

He shut the holoprojector down, and as if on cue, the door to the conference room whooshed open again. A pale-faced, sour looking man entered the room, followed by his dark-haired lieutenant. He looked somewhat disdainfully at the Jedi, but whatever his opinions were, he kept them to himself. "I hope this is a good time."

Alek bowed deferentially. "Of course, Admiral Karath. Your timing is impeccable."

The Admiral appraised the gathering of Jedi. "Welcome aboard the _Sunrider._ I am Admiral Karath, and this is my aide, Lieutenant Carth Onasi." He gave them a thin smile. "You'll be seeing a lot of us, I wager. The Republic Navy is proud to have Jedi serving on its ships, but I do caution you to follow regulations. If I find any of you are behaving out of hand, I will be forced to remove you from the ship. Are there any questions?" He surveyed the group cooly, and when no replies came, he gave them a brief nod. "Very good. I will leave you with the Lieutenant. I have business to attend to, but he will show you around the ship."

"Thank you for your time, Admiral," Alek bowed once more. "I assure you, there will be no problems."

With a curt nod, the Admiral walked out the room. Alyse held her tongue until the door closed, but after that she couldn't contain her thoughts. "He's a ray of sunshine, isn't he?"

Carth smiled. "Don't worry about him, he had a run-in with the Jedi once, and he's never quite trusted them since. I doubt you're likely to cause any of the same problems, though. Just don't let him hear you complaining- otherwise _I'll_ never hear the end of it."

"Duly noted," Alyse nodded, and pretended to enter something into her datapad. "Don't tick off the Admiral."

"That's the spirit," Carth grinned. "Now, about that tour of the ship..."

oo0oo

Skye felt somewhat lost. She knew exactly where she was, of course. After a long series of security checks, she was aboard the Republic cruiser _Sunrider,_ staring down the door to Network Operations. She'd been standing there, staring at the door, for a full minute. In fact, she was quite certain that if she didn't push the button to open the door soon, someone was going to call security on her. But for some reason, she was having difficulty proceeding. Maybe it was because she didn't know what to expect, and that usually unsettled her. This was probably why she hadn't tried to meet anyone new in a very long time.

Hand hovering over the keypad, she was about to finally key it open when it slid away, revealing a lean man with long, curly hair pulled back at the nape of his neck. He regarded her with a brief look of surprise, which quickly changed into a broad smile as he realized who she probably was.

"Don't tell me. You're Skye, our new programmer, right?"

Skye nodded, smiling shyly. "That's me."

"Well, don't just stand there, come in! Let me introduce you to your new home." The man gently guided her into the room. "I'm Erik. I've been here the longest, and I'll be here the last."

"You're just saying that because it would be too much of a hassle to move all your stuff to another room," one of the other men in the room grinned, and nodded politely at Skye. "I'm Wes, and I haven't quite moved in yet."

"We're here a lot," Erik explained. "You might say we maintain a constant vigil over the shipboard communication systems. You might also say we play too many hologames. But whatever you say, we only ask that you say it in keeping with the community we have here."

"Community?" Skye echoed.

"But of course. The _Sunrider_ network lab is not just a room full of people."

"It's usually not even full," another commented. "Hi, I'm Aaron. I lack a witty introduction."

"And I'm Jash," the last man in the room spoke up. "Just to get the last of the introductions out of the way."

"Good to meet you," Skye replied with a slight curtsy. "Is there anyone else who works here?"

Erik shook his head. "Nope, it's just us. And most everyone leaves us alone, since if we do our jobs right, no one has any reason to talk to us."

"So what brings you to the military?" Wes asked.

Skye shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure... mostly, I think it's to keep an eye on my sister."

Wes grinned. "Well, here is the place to do it. We can monitor any communications on the entire ship from this room, and nobody notices because it automatically routes through our computers. It's like being paid to eavesdrop."

"Which would be much better if there were something to hear, mind you," Aaron noted. "You're probably going to find the job terribly boring."

"But, in turn, it will leave you plenty of time to keep track of your sister," Wes continued, "so either way you win. What's she doing here, anyway?"

"She's a Jedi," Skye stated simply.

Jash nearly spit out the dried crisps he'd just eaten. "_She's_ a Jedi, and _you're_ looking out for her? What is she, your baby sister or something?"

"Well, I was born about five minutes earlier," Skye shrugged, "but I doubt that has any bearing on the matter. This is just how it's always been."

"Even more interesting," Wes looked intrigued. "Twin sisters?"

"Identical."

"And you're _not_ a Jedi?"

"Not even a little."

Wes scratched his chin, then shrugged. "Find something new every day, huh?"

"That's how I like to run things," Skye agreed. "Speaking of which, I have a large file on the operations of this ship that I'd like to read through before the day is out."

Jash snorted. "Nobody reads that thing."

"I read everything that comes my way," Skye replied evenly. "That's why I'm the one watching out for my Jedi sister."

Erik gestured grandly towards an empty terminal. "Then by all means, take a seat. Make yourself at home. Customize your settings to your heart's content. And when you're ready to join us in the hologame competitions," he gestured towards a giant whiteboard at the end of the room, "we keep track of our high scores over there."

Skye grinned as she took her seat. There was nothing quite so fun as setting up a fresh account, and she had a lot of fascinating material to read through. Even better, she was pretty sure she could get along with the other programmers. They seemed a little crazy, but crazy of the best possible variety.

Entering her login username and password, she set about her work.

Crazy Jedi sister or not, she was going to have fun.

oo0oo

"Are you sure?" Admiral Saul Karath eyed the datapad in his hands critically. "I don't want to attack the Mandalorians before we're ready for them. That's how the _Courageous_ was destroyed."

"My Master assures me it's the place to go," Alek replied. "His appraisals are usually accurate."

"I want better than 'usually accurate,' Jedi." the Admiral handed the datapad back to Alek. "I want numbers and solid intelligence, not some vague vision of destruction."

Alek was unmoved. "Begging your pardon, Admiral, but wasn't ignoring a vision the _real_ reason the _Courageous_ was destroyed?"

Karath's eyes flashed. "You weren't there-"

"No, but word gets around in the Jedi community. I was particularly fascinated by your treatment of Zayne-"

"He was a wanted fugitive."

"But hardly the Mandalorian plant you thought him to be." Alek drew up to his full height, towering several inches over the Admiral. "Sir, I can only advise, as this is your ship. But I think it would be _wise_ to take my Master's suggestion."

Karath looked hotly at the Jedi, then over at Carth, who simply shrugged. "He's got a point, Admiral. Zayne did come to me with the specific purpose of warning you. Whatever his other crimes may be, spying wasn't one of them."

Far from pleased, Karath snatched the datapad back from Alek. "This mission is _your_ responsibility, Jedi. If this goes badly, you'll be looking at the end of this collaboration."

Alek bowed respectfully. "You won't be disappointed, sir."

"I had better not be," Karath grumbled. "Lieutenant Onasi, see to the Jedi, and report back to me when they have a plan set."

"Will do, Admiral." Carth saluted smartly, then turned to Alek. "Whenever you're ready, I am."

"Then let's get to it," Alek grinned. "We've got some Mandalorians to chase."


End file.
